1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a front retainer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-23441 discloses a connector with a housing and with cavities that extend through the housing in a front to rear direction. Locks are cantilevered forwardly in the housing and extend along inner wall surfaces of the cavities. Deformation permitting spaces are formed in the housing adjacent the locks for permitting resilient deformation of the locks. Terminal fittings are inserted into the cavities from behind and are locked by the corresponding locks. A front retainer is mounted to a front end of the housing and has deformation preventing portions that enter the deformation permitting spaces of the housing to prevent the locks from being deformed away from the terminal fittings. As a result the terminal fittings are locked doubly and are prevented from coming out.
The above-described connector requires a dimension that is the sum of the thickness of a lock in its free state and the height of the deformation permitting space as measured in a resilient deforming direction of the lock. The connector can be miniaturized either by thinning the locks or reducing a degree of resilient deformation of the locks. However, the rigidity and strength of the locks is reduced by thinning, and the thinner locks may have a less reliable locking function. On the other hand, shorter deformation permitting spaces require thinner deformation preventing portions. Thin deformation preventing portions are less rigid and more likely to break.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problems and an object thereof is to miniaturize a connector without reducing the strengths of locks and the deformation preventing portions.